In order to attract the attention of consumers, many products are being manufactured with images that provide a unique and sensational visual presentation. To meet this demand, a variety of printing techniques have been developed to produce aesthetically pleasing visual effects, such as the appearance of depth and three-dimensionality. Various methods are known in the prior art that produce three-dimensional images on two-dimensional media.
One method involves printing two offset images in different colors on an opaque or transparent sheet, and viewing the images using special glasses having right and left lenses which correspond to the different image colors respectively. Holographic technology can also be used to produce am image on a flat sheet which appears three-dimensional when illuminated and viewed at the proper angles.
However, these methods have not been commercially popular for various reasons. The offset image method is undesirable in that special glasses are required to view the image. Holograms are difficult and expensive to produce. Therefore, processes have been developed to produce the illusion of three-dimensional images on two-dimensional media. One such process is conventional embossing, which forms a raised pattern on a substrate by physically deforming part of the substrate upwardly. However, embossing suffers from the drawback that an expensive press is necessary to perform the operation, and a die bearing the desired embossed pattern must be made for each application. Further, the materials that can be used for embossing are limited because of the deforming nature of the embossing process.
Therefore, a need exists for a printing method and printed article that offers the visual impact of embossing without the cost. The assignee of the present invention has developed a number of printing processes for printing a variety of visually stimulating vibrant images creating the illusion of depth, texture and three-dimensionality as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,762,379; 6,113,149; and 6,170,881; the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. The present invention provides an improved printing method for printing vibrant glossy images on a printed article having the illusion of depth, texture and three-dimensionality.